MELTING RATE OF A SNOWFLAKE
(ON WATER VS. LAND)
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METEOROLOGIST JEFF HABY
You may have noticed snow accumulating on a dry surface and not where the flakes fall in water. The process of
conduction is most efficient between two solid bodies. Conduction is most efficient between two solid objects and
least efficient between two parcels of air. When a snowflake hits a dry surface, much of the snowflake is still
exposed to the air. The process of conduction is slower between the air and a solid object than between a liquid
and a solid object. When a snowflake falls into water it is quickly exposed to the water. Conduction between the
water and the ice quickly brings an efficient flow of heat into the snowflake and melts it. A pool of water
represents a mass of water that is above freezing or requires the
latent heat of freezing to turn to ice. A
snowflake entering a water surface will absorb heat from the water. This will act to cool the water and melt
the snowflake. The rate the water cools will depend on how much mass the water has, the rate at which the
ground is adding heat to the water, and if the mass of water has reached the freezing point.
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